The Matter of Choice
by Dearing
Summary: Ty Lee discovers it's the matter of choice that makes us who we are. AngLee with one Chapter of Maiko, because it's all about those couples no one thinks about. Rated T for character death and suggestive tones in later chapters. R&R please.
1. Crossroads

This is my first Avatar fic, so please be nice.

This came to me while I was flicking through the other Avatar fanfictions on this site a few weeks ago.  
I just happened to be matching up random character's in the character selection boxes, and the two of them happened to be Aang and Ty Lee.  
There was nothing there.  
And that got me thinking. Cos if you ask me, the two are very alike in personality (At least, I think so.) and so this fic was born.  
Like I said, this is my first Avatar fic, So please don't flame this. Reviews and constructive criticism I appreciate though.  
I'd like to point out I know squat about Kyusho Jitsu (use of pressure points to disable your enemy), so I'm sorry if i've got things wrong .  
This would take place roughly a week or two before Aang's final battle with Fire Lord Ozai (If he has a final battle. Which I think is likely.)  
Well, that's all I can think to say at the moment. Please read and review. Thanks

Dearing

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She stood over him, her fist poised above his throat, ready to deal a deadly final strike. 

He knelt before her, his legs having given out to her Kyusho Jitsu.

The silence felt strange to her. The only sound coming from the ocean crashing against the cliff below. It seemed to strange, when felt like only moments ago she, along with Mai and Azula had run into the Avatar and his Water tribe and Earthbender friends. They had been fighting for the best part of quarter of an hour when Zuko had shown up, his Uncle on his heels. After that everything had been a blur. She briefly thought she saw her princess friend take out the water warrior, while Mai sparred with the Ex Prince they had been trying to track down. She herself had briefly fought against the Waterbender, but now her attention was on the young Air Nomad in front of her. The last of his kind.

She couldn't remember when they had first exchanged blows. One moment she'd been trying to evade the blind Earthbender, the next he was in her sight. He threw everything at her. Water, Earth, Fire, Air, anything to evade her dextrous fingers.

She used every acrobatic move she knew in an attempt to get up close to him, trying to take out any limb that would give her an upper hand, only to be pushed away in some way or another.

Their battle had taken them away from the others, towards a nearby cliff, pushing at each other, going around in circles.

Finally, mere moments before they had almost fallen to the icy depths below, she caught him in the knee point, causing him to cry out in surprise as his leg gave way beneath him. With expert ease she took advantage of his confusion, hitting his other knee pressure point, bringing him down into the dirt before her, before positioning her fist above his throat before he could react.

He knew it was useless. She knew that he knew it was useless. All she had to do was extend her fingers, and she would cut off his air supply. If the shock didn't kill him, then the craggy rocks below them definitely would.

He looked up slowly, his grey eyes hazy from tiredness and pain, his breathing was ragged from the constant fighting, his hands hanging limply by his sides in defeat.

After what felt like an eternity of silence, he finally spoke, His voice barely coming out in a hoarse whisper, "What…What are you waiting for?"

She faltered, the concentration disappearing from her features, "What?"

"Why…do you wait?"

She had a feeling she knew what he was talking about.

"We need you alive," she replied quietly, "You're not like other soldiers. If you die, you don't stay down. You just get reborn, and this search will happen all over again,"

"But if I die," he paused, trying to regain his strength, "By the time, I'm old enough to do anything about the Fire Nation, it will be too late. So again I ask, Why do you wait?"

"I…I…" she could feel her fist shaking, "Because I've never…killed…anyone before," she tried to steady her arm, "I…I never wanted this. I just wanted to stay in the circus. I was happy there. I thought it was my calling,"

"Then why did you leave?"

She fell back on the same lame excuse she had given Mai, "Because Azula called a little louder,"

"And you're not happy now?"

She stared at him, her fist shaking badly now, "Why do you care?"

"I'm the Avatar," he smiled reassuringly, "It's my job to care,"

She continued to falter, the skin of her knuckles gracing his chin slightly as she continued to try and regain control of her shaking limb, grasping her arm with her opposite hand.

"No," she whispered finally, "I'm not. I thought I might be. I mean I'd be with my friends again…but…"

"If you not happy," he frowned, "Then why continue doing what you don't like?"

She gave him an alarmed look, "I couldn't do that!" she whispered fearfully, "She'd kill me!"

"And what about me?" He continued to stare at her, "Do you really want to kill me?"

"You're the Avatar," she scowled, "An enemy of the Fire Nation,"

"That doesn't answer my question,"

She paused for a moment, taking him in fully;

His clothes, his eyes…his innocence lost.

Similar to her when she thought about it.

Her eyes briefly flickered to the nearby forest, making sure they were as alone as she felt.

"No," she spoke quietly, just in case, "Death…of any kind…just isn't right,"

"Then you've reached a crossroad," he became solemn, "You've either got to do what Azula thinks is right…or what you think is right,"

She couldn't believe she was hearing this.

"What if I change my mind?" her shaking voice now accompanied her shaking fist, "What if I think…think that you should die?"

"Then at least you'll know the right choice,"

"She'll make the right decision," She looked around in surprise, only to see the Fire Princess making her way out of the forest, "Won't you Ty Lee?"

"A…Azula," she tried to keep her voice stable, "Where's Mai?"

"She went after Zuzu," she smirked, "Don't know if she's going to kill him or kiss him though," She glanced down at the Avatar, "You seem to have been busy,"

"I…I was wondering what we should do with him," she looked back down at the Avatar, whose gaze had not left her, "You know, him and his friends I mean,"

Azula shrugged, "His friends are scatted throughout the forest. We don't need to worry about them," She tapped her chin thoughtfully as she came up to them, her cruel gaze falling on him, even though he continued to stare at the girl with her fist at his throat, "The Avatar though..."

"Maybe we could bring him to the Fire Lord?" she suggested, "I mean, that's what you wanted to do originally...right?"

"Maybe," The Fire Princess's eyes travelled to the ledge, "Or we could throw him over the cliff,"

"What!" she panicked, her eyes widening as she turned her head to her friend, her fist still in place below his chin, "but…but…He's not much younger then us! Does he really deserve to die?"

"He's the Avatar," Azula turned back to her friend sharply, "If he's dead there'll be nothing in the way of father from taking over the world,"

"But won't he just be reborn into the Water Tribe?"

"Maybe," she shrugged again, "But so what? By the time he'll be old enough to do anything about it, there'll be nothing he _can _do," she smiled down at him, "If we give him to Father, he'll kill him anyway, might as well save him the trouble,"

"No," she shook her head, "This is wrong…"

The Princess glared at her, "What did you say?"

"This is wrong," She stared desperately into her supposed friend's eyes, "Please, do we have to kill him? At least if we give him to the Fire Lord we can prolong his suffering…"  
"Why do you care?" Azula scowled, her voice threatening, "What does it matter if he dies now, or on the palace floor? Do you care for him? Is that it?"

"No I…"  
"Sympathising with the enemy is treason Ty Lee,"

"It's not that!" The girl was in anguish. How she still managed to keep her fist under his chin was beyond her, "It's just…I've…I've…never killed anything before…and I don't want to start now,"

The Avatar rose an eyebrow at this, before his eyes finally drifted away from her face, focusing on the Princess instead.

"You don't want to kill him because you're squeamish is that it?" she scowled.

She nodded quietly, keeping her eyes to the ground, afraid of what Azula would do now.

"Fine then. If you won't kill him, then I will,"  
she looked up in horror as the Princess made a move towards him, binding with a sudden and unexpected fear for his life.

"NO!"

It felt like she had no control over her hands. All she could do was watch as her fist slowly uncurled it's index and middle finger, before striking her friend's elbow pressure point, rendering it useless.

Azula cried out, more in surprise then anything else, before turning to her, her eyes wide with fury, her right arm dangling uselessly at her side.

"How dare you strike me!" she suddenly advanced on her now former friend, "After all I've done for you!"

She lashed out violently with her left hand, fire lighting up the heavens as the sun began to dip below the horizon.

She was petrified. It was all she could do to dodge the flames as they licked at her body. Seeing no alternative, she darted behind the Princess's back, hitting two points just behind her shoulders, cutting off the Firebender's element in a flash.

Azula stared down at her left hand with disbelief, turning back to her former friend with intense loathing.

"For that," she growled, "You will pay,"  
Her fist raised, she charged towards her, teeth bared, all friendship forgotten.

Suddenly, another flash of flames arched across her vision, causing a spark of fear to cross her mind that she hadn't hit the pressure points right.

Azula's scream suddenly pulled her back into reality.

The princess was ablaze, literally, her form lit up against the darkening sky as she struggled to put out the flames. She tried to scrap them off her, anything to try and extinguish the burning mass, but to no avail.

She kept taking steps backward towards the ledge, as though she was trying to walk away from the blaze that consumed her.

Her former friend called out to her desperately, warning her of the impending danger she was in.

But she couldn't hear her. Another step and the cliff crumbled out from under her, she briefly saw the Avatar lunge for the Fire Princess, but because of her earlier work, he fell short.

Azula's screams echoed around the cliffs as she fell, her flaming form shooting out a small tail as the rocks came ever nearer, resembling the comet that her entire nation was relying on to win the war.

A few seconds later, the screams stopped abruptly, swallowed up by a thunderous roar as the waves crashed against the craggy rocks.

He stared over the edge of the abyss, his face showing how unsure he was to react to the death of the Fire Princess, especially because it was started by his own hand.

Eventually he rolled onto his back, staring up as the first stars began to show themselves, before rolling onto his front again, facing away from the cliff as he pulled himself up onto his dead legs.

She herself just stared at the ledge where Azula had fell, feeling a tinge of remorse in her heart for the death of her childhood friend, but much less then she thought she would have.

As the Avatar pushed himself onto his knees once more, she stumbled towards him, her own legs giving way under her from her sheer tiredness, landing her directly in front of him, almost knee to knee.

They stared at each other for the longest time.

"I don't think we've been properly introduced," His voice was finally regaining it's strength, a small smile appearing on his lips, "I'm Aang,"

She smiled despite herself, before gently cupping his head in her hands, earning her a surprised look on his part.

"I'm…Ty Lee,"

She felt tears spring to her eyes, the salty droplets slowly running their course down her cheeks.

She leant her heavy head on his shoulder, her hands slowly coming around his neck. A few moments more, and he began to hear her sob quietly, a dampness seeping through his shirt.

Slowly, hesitantly, he brought his arms around her, afraid that she might pull away if he acted to quickly.

He held her tight in his grasp, kneeling there quietly as she continued to cry into the night.

An hour later, Katara, Sokka and Toph found them.

He was still there, in the same position, with her asleep on his shoulder.

He looked up as they approached, smiling gratefully, but motioning them to keep quiet.

"Are you okay?" Katara was the first to speak, eyeing the girl warily, "What happened?" she indicated to her.

"She came to a crossroads," he looked down at Ty Lee, a small smile on his face, "And took the right path,"

* * *

If I wasn't so bad at drawing, I'd love to draw that image of Aang on his knees with Ty Lee with her fist under his chin, with an unsure look on her face. I'd think that be great. Maybe that last image too of when she's crying on his shoulder. I'm just a better writer then artist I guess. 

Anyway, what did you think of it? Was it good? Bad? Downright ugly? Let me know please.

Thanks for reading.


	2. Phoenix

After a lot of careful consideration, I've decided to continue with this fic, under it's new name of The Matter of Choice.

While I was on holiday the past few weeks, I did write down a few more chapters, so I thought, "Six reviews...136 hits. a good a reason as any to keep at it,"

So here we go, me continuing with my first Avatar fic.

Keep reviewing please, I appriceate it.

Enjoy.

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**PHOENIX**

She couldn't remember the last time she had felt this much pain.

Actually, she never thought she had.

Her joints flared in anguish as she tried to grasp the slippery rock, her burned black skin screaming in agony as the salty sea lashed against her back. Every movement, however small, caused her to grit her teeth harder and harder, biting back the cries of suffering that echoed through her mind.

The ocean swirled below her, determined to keep her in the depths to which she was thrown.

An anguished cry finally escaped her lips as her hand lost it's grip, plunging her into the turbulent depths once more.

She hated the ocean.

Another wave rose up from the darkened abyss, throwing her against the cliff once more.

She gasped as her broken body hit the face hard, slipping down slightly as she scrabbled to get a better grip on the craggy surface.

Suddenly, her element finally returned to her, the soft rock hissing and spitting angrily as her heated fingers sunk into it's surface, holding her firmly in place.

Despite the pain, she grinned in triumph, pulling herself up by her aching limb and planting her other hand further up the rock.

The sea tried in vain to pull it's prey back into it's confines, but she continued to climb, up and out of reach of it's salty grasp.

Finally, her charred hand felt the moist softness of the dewed grass that dominated the top of the cliff.

With each painful movement, she pulled her broken body over the edge and onto the soft ground, collapsing with a sigh amongst the greenery.

She didn't care about the pain. She had just come from the brink of death, and it only made her stronger.

She rolled on to her back with out a wince, her breathing deep as she gazed up at the white orb of the moon above her.

She could of laughed. She was indestructible. Not even the great Avatar himself could defeat her.

Or the Fire Nation Acrobat she had once called an ally.

Slowly, she pulled herself away from the ledge, rolling onto her knees, and shakily getting to her feet.

It was only then did she laugh. Long and loud.

She threw her hands into the air with sadistic delight, red hot fire arching fourth from her fingertips like deadly fountains.

Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes, Azula had risen again, and only one thing was on her mind.

Revenge.

* * *

What? Did you _honestly _think I was going to let Aang kill Azula? 

Nah, that's Zuko's job. Lol.

I think she might of been slightly OOC here, but then, If i'd managed to claw my way up a cliff face I'd proabably be OOC too.

Before I forget, this won't be a weekly update of this fic because it's not finished yet. I'll try and update it once a month though at _most._

If you've already reviewed, thanks, if you're gonna review. thanks in advance. No flaming though.

Thanks again.

Dearing


	3. Distrust

I think that everyone's a little bit OOC in this chapter (But that's my opinion, they might not be to you,) and forgot about Momo so he's flown off somewhere.

Anyway, enjoy.

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**DISTRUST**

"I don't trust her," Sokka finally spoke up, "I don't trust her at all,"

The Avatar looked up from pulling a blanket around Ty Lee's shoulders, settling back against Appa's saddle as he did so.

He had expected this, especially from Sokka.

"We can't just leave her," he sighed as he watched the sea of clouds flow by them, illuminated by the round moon above, "After what she did…It just wouldn't seem right,"

"But she's Fire Nation," The water warrior sheathed his weapon angrily, "And in case you've forgotten, this girl's been practically hunting us with those freaky friends of hers…"

"One of which she helped me to…" he faded away as he remembered Azula's scream. Enemy or not, being crushed against rocks by a raging ocean was not something he wished on anyone.

"But did she?" Sokka persisted, "I mean, what if it was a set up? A ploy to get you to trust her,"  
"I hate to admit this," Katara looked up uneasily from her steering the flying bison, "But Sokka might be right. I mean, maybe your…" She paused, trying to find the right word, "Intervention wasn't supposed to happen,"

"I don't know," he glanced at the acrobat, lying on her back, her face screwed up in aguish, "She seemed really upset when Azula…fell,"

"She was upset?" Toph raised an eyebrow, "At losing Azula? I'd of been ecstatic!"

"But she considered Azula a friend," Aang shot an angry glance towards his sightless teacher, "Just because we think one way about someone doesn't mean everyone else does,"

"Still," Sokka eyed their passenger as she shifted in her sleep, "I think we should leave her somewhere. A village maybe,"  
"There's no time," Aang sighed, "We've only got a week until Sozin's Comet arrives. The sooner we get to the Fire Capital, the sooner this can all end,"

"But she might rat us out," Sokka continued to scowl, "If we take her, she stays with Appa when we try to infiltrate the palace,"  
Aang remained quiet, contemplating what to do.

"She might be useful," he offered, "I mean if she was with Azula…maybe she could help us get into the palace?"

A stunned silence followed this. All eyes, blind or otherwise, suddenly turned to him.

"You're kidding right?" Toph was the first to find her stunned voice.

"Aang, she was trying to _kill_ you," Sokka spoke slowly, as though he was talking to an idiot, "I don't think she's suddenly going to sit up and say 'Hey! Here's an idea! Why don't I help the traitors to my nation get into the palace?' "

"She's never killed anything," he remembered her words to Azula. Needless to say, it had stirred some surprise within his soul, "She said she didn't want to start with me,"

"Again, It _has _to be a plot of infiltration," Sometimes Aang thought his friend liked to argue for the sake of arguing, "There's no way someone so loyal would betray themselves just like that," He snapped his fingers for emphasis, "She can't come with us,"

"It's been a long day," Katara managed to interrupt him before he could reply to Sokka's apparent order, "I think we should fly for another hour just in case Zuko's still out there, then We'll find a place to camp for the night, Okay?"

"Fine," Toph nodded.

"Sounds good to me," Aang agreed.

All eyes turned to Sokka, who was still staring at Ty Lee with narrowed eyes.

"Fine," he muttered before turning over onto his side, "But this conversation isn't over,"

The Avatar didn't reply, he just settled into a more comfortable position against the saddle, putting a hand behind his head as he gazed at the stars above.

Katara turned back to the way ahead, satisfied with the stillness that now reigned over the flying beast of burden.

Toph sighed quietly as she made sure she was secure in her corner of the saddle, quietly dozing in the moonlight.

Aang himself continued to stare up at the dots of light in the night sky, sparkling like scattered diamonds on a satin curtain.

His eyes slowly drifted to the girl lying beside him, her back currently to him, her shivering form illuminated in the pale moonlight.

He couldn't believe that this was all for some ulterior motive, he just couldn't.

He could still feel her tears on his shoulder of his shirt, not yet fully dry despite the cool breeze, tingling his skin.

They had felt real.

As he watched her, she turned over in her sleep, facing him, her features still screwed up with angst.

Her hair was damp and limp on her skull, her face literally shining with cold sweat.

One of her arms moved as she rolled over, her hand now unintentionally gracing his thigh.

His gaze flickered to it as it twitched, grasping Appa's thick fur in small wads.

Whatever she was dreaming about, it sure wasn't happy.

Slowly, carefully, he gently slipped a hand over hers, pulling it slowly into his lap so he could clasp it with both.

"It will be alright," he murmured quietly, making sure no one else could hear him, squeezing her hand slightly, "I believe you're sincere, even if no one else will,"

She stopped shivering as he spoke those words, a small sigh escaping her lips as she did so.

Maybe it was the darkness, or maybe it was the veil of sleep that was overtaking his mind, but before he drifted off, he could of sworn he saw a small smile.

And he definitely felt her squeeze back.


	4. Meeting

Another chappie for ya!  
Sorry I'm taking so long to update, but I'm kinda stuck in a writer's block at the moment. I'll keep trying though  
Anyway, enjoy.

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**MEETING**

Fire.

Everywhere.

Burning her.

Trapping her within it's confines.

She couldn't move, she was far too afraid.

Azula rose from her fiery cage, her features lit up by the red turmoil around her, giving her a demonic appearance as she laughed manically down at her.

She wanted to scream, but no sound came from her mouth. She wanted to get away, but the flames continued to lick at her flesh, constricted her movement.

"You killed me Ty Lee," she gazed up in horror as the fire princess rose up in a pillar of flame, her hands spreading even more in great arches, "Now, I KILL YOU!"  
She swooped down on her, her hands bared like claws as she went in to make the killing blow.

Then, she awoke.

She sat up straight in a flash, her breathing sharp and shallow, her face shining with sweat, gazing around wildly.

It was dark, peaceful, save for a deep groan coming every so often from below.

It took her a moment to realise she had been sleeping on top of the Avatar's flying bison.

"_How in the world did I get here?"_

Her last clear memory had been of kneeling in from of the Avatar, before a wave of grief had overcome her. The last thing she remembered was a pair of arms coming around her before everything became a blur.

A slight blush tinted her cheeks as she came to a conclusion that it had been him, Aang he'd said his name was, that had to be the owner of the arms that had given her comfort.

Considering that his enemy had just collapsed on his shoulder, he'd been surprisingly…comforting.

Gazing gingerly over the edge of the saddle mounted on the great beast, she noticed several tents had been set up close by.

Either people wanted to leave her be, or that they didn't want to sleep near one of their enemies.

Considering that fact she'd been trying to stop them for the best part of two months, she couldn't blame them.

A flash of light suddenly caught her attention. Then another. She caught a better glimpse of it the second time. It had been a fiery orange, lighting up the surrounding trees in it's wake, casting eerie shadows around the camp site.

She visibly flinched, which actually surprised her. She never thought she'd be afraid of her own Nation's element before.

Her mind suddenly divided into two.

Flashes of fire meant Firebenders, which could mean friends, Mai might be with them maybe…or it could be Zuko. She could make a run for it before any of the Avatar's party awoke.

Strangely though, she felt dismayed at herself for even considering running back to the Fire Nation (Or if it was Zuko, fugitives). These people had taken her in, and betraying their trust (If they had any at all) didn't seem right.

Her second impulse was to wake the sleepers below. She knew from personal experience the four were adapt at handling members of her Nation.

Then another thought struck her. Maybe she could handle the owners of the fire bending. And if she defeated them, she might be able to gain the proper trust of Aang and the others.

The trust of the Avatar. Never thought she'd want that.

A plan formed in her mind, and she quietly slipped off the bison, making sure she didn't wake the beast, before creeping off towards the flashes.

She was positively terrified as she slowly made her way through the undergrowth, being careful not to make a sound, lest her target heard her.

Before the events on the cliff, She had never fought a full Firebender before. Her fight with Azula had given her a sudden fear of the element. The ferociousness her former friend had fought with, the flames that had once fought along side her, now suddenly aimed _at _her.

The experience, needless to say, had not been pleasant, and although she seemed to have come out of the encounter realisably unscathed on the outside, inside, she now had a mental scar, a slash a cross her mind…a fear of fire.

The trees started to thin out, the flashes of flame becoming bright as she approached, causing her to falter in her approach.

She could feel a bead of sweat creep slowly down her neck as she slowly pushed through the last of the undergrowth, unsure of what she would find on the other side. Would it be just one Firebender, or ten, or a hundred, or a thousand?

To her surprise, it wasn't any.

Well, sort of.

He stood there, in the centre of a small pond in the middle of a clearing, his eyes closed, his stance rigid as small ringlets of water rippled around his ankles.

Every so often he would suddenly move violently, a plume of fire erupting from his hands, before resuming the same meditative stance, his hands in a praying position.

A thing she noticed as she watched was the flames were slowly lightening with every try, slowly becoming a brighter and brighter blue. The flashes were also becoming more frequent, the small breaks becoming shorter and shorter.

Soon, the flames were swinging out in great arches, lighting up the night sky with a mixture of crimsons and cobalt.

Her curiosity overtaking her fear, she slowly approached him.

His eyes were still closed as far as she could see, but with the now constant azure flames now spewing in all directions it was hard to tell.

SNAP!

The Avatar's eyes sprung open as she felt a twig give way under her foot, one hand diverting in her direction, as if on impulse.

She was paralysed with fear. All she could see was a wave of intense blue flame powering towards her with no way of escaping it's path.

Suddenly her vision was obscured by a different shade of blue. A darker blue, more friendly, if not wet.

A wave of water had erupted from the pond, extinguishing the angry blaze with a hiss, and drenching her in the process.

She blinked for several seconds after her sudden bath, droplets still falling lightly from her eyelashes.

"Wow," she spoke after a moment of silence, "Never thought I'd ever be glad to see a Waterbender before,"

"Oops," Aang grinned sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck slightly, "Sorry about that. You just kinda snuck up on me, you know?"

"Yeah," she laughed slightly as she wrung out her ponytail, "Guess we were kinda both at fault there," She motioned to his legs, "Glad to see your up and about again,"  
"Thanks," he grinned, "Nice to see you're awake again. You've been asleep for hours, I was worried you'd falling into a coma or something,"

"Well, I do tend to be a heavy sleeper…" she stopped suddenly, registering what he'd just said, "You were worried about me?"  
"Well…yeah," the Avatar shrugged as he stepped out of the pond, shaking his feet of the excess water as he did so, "I worry about everybody,"

"Oh," she frowned, confused at the sudden ache in her heart, "I guess it comes with being the Avatar right?"

He chuckled, "Something like that," His face suddenly grew serious, "What were you doing out here anyway?"

"I…I thought I saw Firebenders," She winced slightly as though expecting him to lash out at her, "And I thought you didn't trust me and…well, I thought that maybe if I…you know…beat them for you, you might trust me more,"  
"You don't think we trust you?"

She rose an eyebrow at this, "Well…I've been your enemy for the last two months. I certainty wouldn't trust myself if I was in your shoes," she glanced down at his rolled up trousers, watching as his toes curled around the grass, "Feet,"

"Well…Sokka doesn't trust you as far as he can throw you," Aang suddenly looked anxious, "And Katara and Toph are kinda uneasy having someone from the Fire Nation around. They all think you're an infiltrator or something,"  
She frowned again. That had stung.

She looked up again at him, "And what about you?"

He cocked his head to one side, "You saved my life, so I guess I trust you,"

Now her eyebrows really hiked up, "One good deed out of two months of being against you and you trust me?"

"Well," he looked down at the pond, "I don't trust you like I trust Katara, you know, with my life and stuff like that, but I don't distrust you enough to think you're a spy or something,"

"Thanks…I think,"

"Give it time," he smiled reassuringly, "If you stick around long enough, even Sokka will accept you. I'm sure we all be can be great friends…eventually,"

"Yes," she looked off distractedly, "Friends,"

Friends with the Avatar? Could she _actually_ be accepted as a friend to these people? After all the times she'd taken out Katara and Toph's Bending skills, after the uncountable occasions she'd reduced Sokka to a pathetic heap, how would _any_ of them even call her an acquaintance, let alone a companion.

Then another thought entered her mind. Whose side was she now on? On the one hand, the Avatar had practically welcomed her with open arms, and yet on the other, him just _being_ the Avatar, the most wanted enemy of the Fire Nation, seriously gave her confliction issues.

She should hate him. Heck, she shouldn't even be having a decent conversation with him! As Azula said, sympathy with the enemy was treason against the Fire Lord.

And yet…

And yet she felt drawn to him, like a moth to a flame.

When she looked at him, she saw something so familiar.

His own personality reminded her so much of herself. An innocence lost. She felt like she had lost hers the day Azula had "Persuaded" to join her on this man hunt for Zuko. He was only a few years younger, and yet he'd already lost his own innocence. A combination of guilt, the weight of the world, and the simple fact he was the Avatar was the reason she theorised.

"But…if you don't want to travel with us," she was ripped out of her thoughts by the unsure note in his voice, "I think there's a village nearby. It's an Earth Kingdom one though. I'll just say you ran off while we were all asleep. I think it's a mile or two over there,"

She turned away from him slightly, rubbing her arm against the coolness of the night as she gazed in the direction he had pointed.

To stay, or to go…

"I…don't think I have a reason to stick around," she felt uncomfortable, as though she wasn't speaking the truth, "I mean, I don't think I'd be able to contribute anything…"  
"Sokka doesn't do much," he smirked, "He eats, he sleeps…Aside from that…"

She giggled slightly, before turning back to him, "Besides, I know where you're heading. Sozin's comet will arrive by the end of the week. You'll be heading for the Capital. You're going to end the War…and to end the War, you're going to defeat the Fire Nation. I don't know if I can betray my people like that,"  
He frowned slightly, a look of severe disappointment quickly overtaking it as he slumped onto a nearby log.

"That's too bad," he sighed, "I was kinda hoping you'd teach me some of those disabling moves you do,"

"My Kyusho Jitsu?" She rose her eyebrows at this, "The fact you can master all four elements isn't enough?"

"It's not that," he twisted his hands in his lap, "It's just, by the time we reach the Capital, The Comet's going to be really close, maybe close enough for Ozai to use it's power. That's why I was out here Firebending. You know, try and use it's power against him. If I could disable his Bending skills, it would be a huge advantage,"

"The Fire Lord isn't exactly a wimp," she sat down next to him, "I don't think even I'd be able to hit his pressure points without breaking my fingers against his muscles,"

"It was just a thought," he didn't look at her, he just continued to stare at his twisting hands.

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, before turning to look up at the starry sky above.

"Don't get me wrong. I don't like war. So much death, so much pain…doesn't seem right to me. I guess when I think about it, this war was one of the reasons I joined the circus, just to get away from it. My dad died in it, and his dad…it broke my mom's heart,"

"Then wouldn't it be better, if it just ended either way?"

She looked down at him, finding her eyes locked with his.

He looked so serious, so out of character for someone of his age. Someone who looked like he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Which she guessed he did really.

"I guess," she spoke quietly, her gaze turning to the pond, "After a hundred years of fighting, I guess both sides would appreciate a end of any kind,"

"And who knows?" he grinned, "Maybe when this is all over, you can go back to the circus again,"

Her frown deepened, "After everything that's happened…I don't think I'd be able to go back anyway,"

They sat in silence for a few minutes more, staring out over the quietness of the clearing as the sun began to make it's daily trek across the sky.

"I should get back to the others," Aang stretched as he slowly stood from the log, "I'll tell them you knocked me out or something,"  
She rose uneasily from the log as he turned around in the opposite direction to the one he pointed, whistling tunelessly as he clasped his hands behind his back, rocking back and fourth on his heels.

She looked off towards where the village supposedly was, folding her arms under her chest against the chill that came with morning.

She stood at another crossroads she realised. A choice between staying with him and betraying her Nation, or fleeing his company to safety until the War finally came to it's end, one way or the other.

To stay or to go…

She turned back to him, gently laying a hand on his shoulder, bringing his rather pathetic attempt at a tune to an abrupt halt.

He looked over his shoulder at her with a confused frown, causing her to smile, ever to slightly.

"I don't know if it will do any good," she spoke slowly, the smile growing a little, "But if you're still willing, I can teach you a few basic moves,"


	5. Revelations

Here's another chapter for ya.  
This month though, we're going to move away from Aang and Ty Lee and focus on Mai and Zuko (Remember in the first chapter she ran off after him?) Anyway, I think both of them are OOC, I definitly know Mai is, but this is Fan fiction, it doesn't have to be 100 accurat right?

Alright enjoy.

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**REVELATIONS**

She chased him through the undergrowth, dodging amongst the towering trees, her path illuminated by the moon as the rays of the sun began to fade and die.

He ran as fast as his tired legs would carry him, throwing balls of fire into her path at every chance he got, doing anything to slow her down.

She deftly dodged behind the trunk of a mighty pillar of wood, the smell of burning lumber filling her nostrils as the blast hit her shield.

"Why do you run Zuko?" she yelled above the roar of his flames, "Why do you run like a coward? Is this the same Prince that I used to know as a kid? Or were you always like this?"  
The flames stopped abruptly, causing her to smirk slightly. Looks like she hit a nerve.

"I thought as much," she smirked as she came out from her hiding place, leaning up against the scorched pine, being careful not to dirty her dress with the ashes, "You were always a coward weren't you? I guess I was just too blind to see it,"  
He stood a little way off. His arms and legs evenly spaced, his breathing heavy and deep.

She watched as sweat trickled down his scar, in turn noticing how one eye was little more then a slit because of it.

A part of her wondered why she'd never noticed before.

"You know Azula told me about your Angi Kai, how you collapsed before your father and begged for forgiveness,"

"Shut up," he closed his eyes tightly, his fist starting to quake, "Just…shut up,"

She felt something catch in her throat, but she ignored it, "She told me to cried like a baby. Did you cry Zuzu? Did you beg for your mother?"

"Shut up!" she watched as tears managed to trickle their way out of his screwed up eyelids, at the same time feeling the lump in her throat increase. She was hurting him. She could see that. She wanted to stop, but her mouth wouldn't let her.

"And after the Fire Lord gave you that scar…" she could hear her voice beginning to crack, "I…I thought I could hear your screams from across the city!"

"SHUT UP!!!"

She barely dodged back behind the tree as the roar of fire licked at the timber. She could feel her own fist quivering as the heat burned her skin.

She had gone further then she'd planned too. She just wanted him to stay. She had wanted to see his face again. Even though she'd seen it countless times over the last two months, this had been the first time she had properly _seen _it since he had been exiled. She was in aguish at her own actions. She'd pushed to far into his wounds. Hurting him was hurting her.

She could feel the blaze licking at the trunk, orange tongues flicking like a snakes at the edges of her clothes.

"Do you really think that you'll be forgiven if you return with the Avatar?" she shouted over the roar of the flames, "Do you honestly think a man like Lord Ozai will welcome you back with open arms? Think about it!"

The flames cut out abruptly with a hiss, the only sound coming from the whisper of the wind through the trees, a faint trace of smouldering bark filling the air.

"What do you mean?"

She peaked out from behind the tree, unsure of if this was a trap, lulling her into a false sense of security.

He stood before her, a look of hesitancy across his face, his fist warily at his side.

"Don't you get it?" she stared at him with disbelief, "Everyone who knows about your exile knows the Fire Lord sent you on a fools errand. We all thought the Avatar was never reborn into the Nomads. It was supposed to be a fool's errand…"  
"You're lying," his features contorted into anger, although she swore she could see a reluctant realisation in his eyes, as though he always knew, yet refused to accept it.

"No I'm not," she pined to that look in his amber eyes, praying he'd see sense, "You're father always said that Azula was born lucky, and that you were lucky to be born. You told me that remember?"

"No," He shook his head wildly, like a child being told something that went against all he'd ever learnt, "No, you're lying…I'm the next in line for the throne! I…"

"You're an exile!" She wanted to scream at him, but her voice wouldn't let her, "You're considered a traitor to the Fire Nation! Even if you _did_ come back, you'd be killed before you even stepped through the gates!"

"You're lying," His eyes suddenly widened furiously, "YOU'RE LYING!!!"

Another ball of flame came her way, but this time she was prepared.

Dodging behind her shield once more, she rolled around to the other side of the mighty wood pillar, a flash of silver erupting from her wrist as a knife sailed his way.

He reacted almost immediately, one fireball extinguishing in an instant as another took it's place, the blade turning to slag as it hit the forest floor with a dull thud.

He froze as they locked eyes. She could feel his yellow orbs piercing her own, searching for a hint of deception.

She stared back at him, hoping, begging that he'd see sense.

"The Fire Lord always wanted Azula to be the next heir to the throne," her voice was quiet, barely a whisper. She didn't want to hurt him any longer, "When you defied him in his own War Room…he saw it as an opportunity to be rid of you forever,"

He stood there, his eyes now filled with something she thought she'd never see; fear. Fear that all she said was true.

Then, he fled.

She chased him once more. Through the undergrowth and dappled light, ignoring as twigs and thorns tore at her clothes and hair as she ran, pulling at the tightened strands, pulling them away.

She noticed he didn't do anything to try and stop her from following. He just ran, great leaps ahead, round trees and over stumps.

She just wanted him to stop. Talk to him. Bring out the person she remembered from her childhood.

Then, he stopped.

She could see him just ahead. He'd stopped in his tracks, turning slowly to face her, his fists balled, dumping the satchel he'd been carrying on the ground beside him, his face determined.

She kept running, straight and narrow towards him. She felt like she had no control over her limbs. They just kept carrying her forward towards him.

She watched as he slowly took a fighting stance, ready to deal a final blow. She knew that if she didn't dodge him, she would be fried.

And yet she continued to run to him. Like an arrow to it's target.

She was getting closer.

Metre, she was at his fingertips. He tried to move into a better position but she was too close.

Centimetres, she dodged between his arms.

Millimetres, she was now too close.

Then, she kissed him.

Her momentum pushed him backwards, the shock of feeling her lips against his own, causing him to lose his balance, sending them tumbling down the embankment into the stream below with a splash.

They just lay there, the water rushing past their bodies as neither one made to remove themselves from close quarters.

Suddenly Zuko pushed himself up, breaking the kiss abruptly.

She lay there, stunned, her body numb from the experience. Or that might have been the freezing cold water.

He stared down at her, his eyes a mixture of confusion and hesitancy.

She imaged her face must be something similar. She had often dreamed of this moment, but never quite this way. She'd often pictured it somewhere in the Palace Gardens, with the sun just about to rise above the East wall. He'd smile at her, his face devoid of the scar that now marred his features, and she'd become suddenly shy and out of character, before they'd lean in for the perfect moment.

She'd never dreamed she'd kiss him after tracking him for the best part of a mile, the moment occurring in the middle of a icy cold bath that she now lay in.

All her thoughts however were cut off when he kissed her again.

The world seemed to dissolve around her as his lips cashed against hers once more. It was just him and her.

She felt her hand slowly move to sift though his short hair, deepening the kiss further, allowing his tongue to slowly enter her mouth, bringing her closer to him then she'd ever thought possible.

When Iroh finally caught up with them a few hours later, he was surprised to find entwined in each others embrace under a thin blanket from the bag, their damp clothes hanging out to dry on a nearby branch.

He smiled slightly as he decided to camp out a little way away from them, give them space.

This was going to change everything, he knew.

And he hoped, for the better.


	6. Capital

Hey, how ya doing?  
Erm...I don't no really how to say this, but I'm afraid this story's going on hiatus for a while.  
I really hate to do this, after getting way more support for this then I thought I would, but the fact of the matter is, I've got Writer's Block.  
Well, that's not really true. You see, I have a draft for three, maybe four more chapters after this, but they're only notes, and I just don't know how to write it properly, if that makes any sense. I know from experience that if i try to force a story to write itself, it turns out dreadful, so I'm putting this on hiatus until the ideas start flowing again, and am goning to work on another Avatar fic in the Works (Project Avatar) until then.  
Once again, I'm really, really sorry, especially seeing i'm finishing on a bit of a short chapter, but i promise this fic _will_ be finished, and will be completly uploaded before I start uploading Project Avatar.  
I hope you understand why I'm doing this.

Alright, on with the show.

**

* * *

**

**CAPITAL**

Aang had never liked the capital of the Fire Nation.

It was a rough circle, filled with thousands, maybe millions of square jagged buildings, each several stories high, claw like appendages pointing upwards to the sky from each corner.

Even the tallest of these buildings however was dwarfed by the Palace.

It rose out of the very centre of the city, easily a hundred stories tall, maybe more so, each balcony lined with the same curled spikes that only decorated the corner of the other houses, signifying it's superiority.

Although he couldn't see from here, he knew that each balcony would have guards patrolling with their heavy precision steps, their armour clicking in time to the creak of the floor beneath them.

He frowned as he gazed down at the city below from the cliff above, leaning back against Appa's neck as the flying Bison snoozed quietly beneath him, the quietness of the night only disturbed by the magical monster's heavy breathing.

"I never liked it that much either,"

The Avatar looked up from his seat, only for his grey orbs to fall on Ty Lee's lithe figure, draped over the front of the saddle, her pale skin lit up by the dying rays of the sun as she twirled a clump of Appa's fur with one hand, gazing absently towards the twinkling lights of the Capital.

"I always liked the palace gardens though," she continued, rolling onto her back so she could view the city upside down, "I remember during the spring, you could see the turtle ducklings on the ponds," she smiled fondly, "I always found it funny how they'd get themselves into all kinds of trouble," the smile faded slightly, "Of course, when Azula was around they were _always_ in trouble,"

She sighed as she bent her arms back and grasped the front of the saddle firmly, before pushing herself up into a vertical position above him.

"Zuko's mom liked feeding the turtle ducks," her frown deepened as she gazed at the palace, still upside down, "I liked Fire Princess Ursa. She was always quiet and kind, very protective too. Especially of Zuko. Kinda like a mother Turtle Duck I guess,"

"What happened to her?" he asked.

"I don't know," the reply sighed as she slowly did a 180 degree turn, arching her body as she eased herself over the front and onto Appa's back, before slowly sliding down to land on the beast's head with a soft thump as Aang made room for her, "I heard a rumour though. Azula told me that Fire Lord Azulon, the Lord before Ozai, was planning to kill Zuko as punishment for something his father had done. I heard that to insure the safety of the Prince, she killed the Fire Lord, before fleeing the Palace. Ozai rose to the throne soon after,"

The Avatar frowned as he lay his head back amongst Appa's fur, gazing up at the starry night above.

"She must of really loved him, if she was willing to kill for him,"

"Maybe," The Acrobat followed his example, "It is just a rumour though,"

"Mm,"

Silence reigned once more over the night, broken only by the flying bison's breathing, and the occasion mutter from Sokka from the saddle above.

"Do you think you'd ever go so far to kill for someone you love?"

The words had passed her lips before she'd realised what she'd asked, a hand coming up to her mouth with a slap at her own daring.

He remained silent, his eyes never leaving the stars above.

"I did once," his voice was quiet when he finally spoke, "It was only a buzzard wasp but…I was so angry…I just cleaved it in two,"

Ty Lee glanced over at him, her eyes wide, "Who would you do that for? Katara?"

His eyes flickered up towards the saddle, before resuming his gaze on the stars, "I probably would, if I had too, but in this case, the wasp had stolen Momo. Of course, I was already angry because the Sandbenders had stolen Appa. I guess I was just blinded by rage," his frown increased as he fixed his eyes on the city below, "And now, I might have to kill again,"

She felt herself nod slightly. The Fire Lord was more likely to suddenly become a Waterbender then give up without a fight to the death.

"I don't like death," he murmured, "I don't like killing. People, animals, anything. Even if it's for the ones you love…"

He stopped suddenly as he felt a hand clasp around his own, his eyes travelling over to hers.

She smiled reassuringly, squeezing lightly at his interlaced fingers.

"I know we've only really known each other for about a week," she spoke softly, "But I'm confident that when the time comes, you'll make the right decision,"

He smirked, "You sound like Katara,"  
she shrugged, "Then I guess she's got the right idea about you,"

His smirk slowly began to match her smile, "Thanks Ty Lee. I guess that brings up the number of Fire Nationers that trust me up to two,"

Now it was her turn to smirk.

The moment was short-lived however as a groan from Appa emitted from below them.

Suddenly their fluffy seat decided to roll his head in his sleep, causing the two surprised kids to fall off the bison's shaggy head.

He felt himself falling, his mind absently counting the seconds it took before he hit the ground.

One second…

Two…

Thr….

He felt the loose soil through his shirt as he hit the earth with a soft thump, wincing slightly at the numb ache running through his back.

A few moments later however, he was greeted with a new sensation, a feeling similar to the one he'd just experienced, only through his front, and much more softer.

Ty Lee had had landed on him.

They were close. Real close. Maybe too close. So close he could feel her breath on his face, the faint scent of vanilla and jasmine filling the air around him, fogging up his brain.

She stared down at him, a faint blush gracing her cheeks as she realised the position they'd gotten themselves into.

Her body was pressed up against his, her lower arms on either side of his head, flat on the ground so she wouldn't have hurt herself when she fell. His right arm had subconsciously come around her waist, the attached hand resting comfortably on the small of her back.

She could hear a little voice at the back of her head, screaming at her to do something, but she couldn't, her body was numb, she couldn't move! All she could do get lost in his grey eyes.

He could feel her shiver under his touch, and had a feeling it wasn't due to the coldness of the dusk.

They were almost nose to nose, one wrong move…

Then, he heard it.

A faint rumbling, a familiar sound, like from a dream long forgotten.

The sound was accompanied by another sound, another rumbling, this time close by.

She suddenly heard it too, looking up in surprise.

"The Earth Kingdom army…" she whispered in awe.

He looked up too, his eyes widening at the inverted scene that lay before him.

A sea of green, lit up by thousands of torches, slowly made it's way across the plains that dominated the east horizon.

The constant thumping of the feet of many slowly became louder and louder, closer and closer.

Soon the shrieks of alarms sounded within the confines of the city, dots of light blinking on one after another.

"It's a last ditch attempt," Ty Lee whispered, "They know if Sozin's Comet gets here…it's all over,"  
Suddenly, it clicked where he had heard the first rumbling from. It _had_ been from his dreams. Around the Winter Solstice.

Sure enough, as he looked to the sky past his friend's head, he slowly saw it flicker to life. A burning ball of fire and light, beginning it's slow trek across the sky.

Sozin's Comet.

"Too late," he whispered as Ty Lee followed his gaze, "It may already be done,"

* * *

I'd like to point out at this time I have no idea how old Ty Lee is, but I'm going with Wikipedia for this fic and saying she's around 14. Sorry, I shoudl of said something about that earlier, but it just slipped my mind.

Alright, that's all for now folks, but keep an eye out. This story _will_ be finished!


	7. Ozai

Hey look! I managed to undo the Writer's Block for a while, and I came up with this!

It's only three pages long in Bookman Old Style size 14, but I got it, that's the important thing.  
I'm also halfway through the next chapter, and although The Block's back, I am determined to finish this.  
Speaking of blocks, I've uploaded a teaser trailer of sorts for the fic I'm using to try and ease my writer's block, Project Avatar. It's on my Youtube account, a link to which is on my profile (Can't post the link here because FanFiction won't let me.

Alright, Hope you like.

**

* * *

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**OZAI**

Fire, not from his soldiers.

His loyal subjects, running in terror as the front gate was blow apart by the earth below it.

From the sea, his navy, caught off guard by captured allies, found themselves in chaos, unable to tell friend from foe.

And yet…he smiled.

From his position on the highest balcony, he could already feel the power of Sozin's comet slowly begin to course through his veins.

It was already too late.

And he had a feeling they already knew that.

This was just a pathetic last attempt at freedom, one that he would crush like an insignificant insect.

Flashes of aqua caught his eye, causing his head to turn to an on going battle along the western wall.

Waterbenders. Hundreds of them. Their blue clothes standing out greatly against the blood reds and coal blacks of his Firebenders uniforms.

Even from up here, he thought he could hear the hissing and spitting of extinguished Firebending as the benders of water threw orbs of the liquid at his soldiers, before returning the clear substance back to it's bottle. A ploy, he realised, to stop the catapults from being lit, decimating the invading army.

It would also explain why they had chose this night, a period of a full moon, to attack.

An unforeseen move, not that it mattered. It only made things more…interesting.

He was fascinated by the concept. Who would win this fight? The Waterbenders, with the power of the Moon, or the Firebenders, with the power of the Comet.

He knew it would be the latter.

Slowly, his army would begin to feel the power that his Grandfather had used a century before.

Because the comet had only just begun it's crawl across the sky, only he, and the soldiers guarding the door, were able to feel it's power, being on the highest point of the city. Eventually though, he knew that it's power would seep across the globe, and finally, the Fire Nation would inherit the Earth, just as time had intended.

Suddenly, something new caught his eye.

A giant white mass, flying overhead, with several people riding on it's back.

His eyes widened slightly with realisation.

A flying bison.

That meant only one person.

The Avatar.

His smile grew as he watched the beast come ever closer, dodging and weaving through the hail of flaming arrows as he ploughed on towards the palace.

Things just became even more interesting.

If he destroyed the Avatar was here, then that meant two things.

By killing him, he killed the last Airbender. It would only a matter of tracking down the spirit through the other nations and killing him or her before it was barely born, effectively eliminating the threat it processed in just a single generation at most.

It also meant, that his worthless son would never be able to regain his honour, leaving the throne open for his beloved daughter.

The palace suddenly shook beneath his feet as the Bison collided head on with the East wall, causing him to grab instinctively to the railing, and to quirk an eyebrow with intrigue.

An unusual way to get his attention, or into the most fortified building in the empire, but an effective one.

He now knew it was only a matter of time before The Avatar arrived in his throne room.

He watched as the Bison took off again, now sporting only a young boy dressed in blue, wielding a boomerang, and a even younger female, dressed in green.

They mattered not, he realised. They were just two of the Avatar's friends who would be pretty much useless within the confines of the Palace walls. He had mad sure of that.

His thoughts travelled back to the last of the Airbenders. He figured with would take at least three hours before he managed to break through his defences in the corridors. By then, not only would his mind have formulated a plan to defeat his greatest foe, but he would also have the full power of Sozin's comet. It was only a matter of time.

It was then that he felt it.

A vibration, coming from the floor beneath his feet.

For the first time since this battle began, he felt a tinge of uneasiness start to flow through his veins.

A new sound started to join the vibration every minute or so.

A loud bang, followed by a clang of broken metal, ending with the crunch of splintered wood.

It slowly got closer and closer.

Bang! Clang! Crunch! Bang! Clang! Crunch!

Moments before the loudest of the sounds breached his ears he realised what the Avatar was doing.

He was coming up through the Balconies.

BANG! CLANG! CRUNCH!  
The two guards near the door were flung against the wall as something burst through the spot where the Lord of Fire had been standing moments before, blown away by the massive amounts of wind that tore through the Throne room, extinguishing the fires within.

He stood his ground however, his eyes narrowed as a yellow and orange sleeved arm pulled a itself through the gaping hole, slowly revealing the small body, adjoining arm and head, and lastly his thin legs.

He bared his teeth angrily as the Last Airbender slowly rose from the floor to stand tall in front of him, a grim smile slowly making it's way across his features.

"Fire Lord Ozai," The King of the Fire Nation clenched fists at the carelessness of the way he spoke his name, "I'm Avatar Aang, and this needs to end…Now!"


	8. Revenge

Yet another chapter from me. I think I can get another chapter for next month, and maybe even an epilogue. It's kinda hard for me to write Avatar at the moment, too much anticipation for Book 3.

Well, here you go, personally the best chapter since Crossroads.

Anyway, enjoy.

**

* * *

**

**REVENGE**

Smoke and dust filled the air as the giant Bison collided with the side of the Palace, causing his passengers to tumble out of the saddle and onto the hard wooden floor of the balcony.

"Well, that's one way to make an entrance," Ty Lee groaned as she rubbed her backside sorely.

"Appa, you okay?" The Avatar seemed more serious then he usually was. He had a commanding air around him, something that seemed so alien in a twelve year old boy.

The flying beast of burden grunted in response, shaking his massive head as he did so, the floor creaking ominously.

"Good. What about everybody else? Everyone alright?"

A collective groan echoed between the three girls. Sokka only burbled incoherently.

"Excellent," he held his hand out to the Acrobat as he pulled her to her feet, "Where's the Throne Room?"

"About ten stories up I think," She frowned as Katara and Toph tried to wake Sokka from his drowsiness, "But the Palace is heavily guarded. You'll never get through the corridors by yourself.

Aang merely grinned, "Who ever said I was going to get in the old fashioned way?"

"Flying is out of the question too," she shook her head, "The Balconies are lined with guards, they'll just shoot you down,"

He paused for a minute, before staring up to the tier above.

"What about the Balcony floors?" He asked, "What are they made out of?"

"Metal, stone, a bit of wood. More decoration then anything else. Why?"

"I have an idea," he turned to Katara and Toph, "How's Sokka doing?"

"He'll be alright," The Earthbender smirked, "He only landed on his head,"

"Good. Once he's up and about, I want you all to get out of here. Try and help the Earth Kingdom Army break down the wall or something,"  
"What about you?" Katara stood up as Toph slapped Sokka round the face, waking him up instantly, "What are you going to do?"

"What I have to,"

"You're gonna face the Fire Lord alone!?" Ty Lee gawped at him, "You're insane! You could be killed! And with the comet in the sky…"

"Ty Lee…I have to do this," he turned his gaze to the on-going battle below, "If I get to Ozai now I might be able to defeat him before he draws full power from the comet,"

"But he will kill you!" the acrobat shook him by the shoulders violently, as though it would help him see sense, "HE…WILL…KILL…YOU!!!"

"TY…LEE…STOP…GOING…TO…HURL!!!"

The girl stopped as the boy in her grasp rolled his head several times around his neck, his cheeks tinged a slight green, before he finally shook his head to clear it.

"I'm gonna be fine," her took her gently by the elbows, her hands still on his shoulders, "The sooner I get up there, the sooner I can win," He smiled reassuringly, "You do want me to win right?"

She shrugged with a small smile, "After a hundred years of fighting, I guess both sides would appreciate a end of any kind,"

She tried to retain the smile, only to feel the corners of her mouth fall down as she felt a trickle of dampness run down her cheeks.

His own smile faded at his newest friend's sadness. Slowly, his hands made their way up her arms and around her shoulder, pulling her tightly into his warm embrace.

Ty Lee didn't object. She felt her tears seep into his shirt as she cried. She didn't want this. She knew he was going to die, she just knew it. She could feel it in the air. She didn't want to let him go. If she did, she just knew that…

WHUMP!

A flash of fire impacted against the nearby wall, forcing the two apart in surprise.

"HALT, IN THE NAME OF THE FIRE LORD!!!"

Aang gritted his teeth angrily at the two guards, a wave of wind sending the guards sprawling a few moments again, their heads impacting against the side of the balcony with a sickening crunch.

"Halt that," The Avatar muttered under his breath as he turned his attention to the Balcony above.

With a mighty bang, the stone bottom of the balcony gave way to his Earthbending skills, the metal above turning to slang from his breath of fire moments later. Finally, with a fairly loud crunch, the wooden boards splitting like toothpicks, leaving a fairly large hole for a certain twelve year old to be able to climb through.

"One down," He smiled at the group in front of him, "Nine more to go,"

His smile quickly vanished as he took in her worried appearance; the way she bit her lower lip, her eyes wanting to say something her mouth could not.

"I'll be fine," he tried to smile for her, but found himself unable too, "Really. So stop worrying and…"

He was abruptly cut off however by an event not even he could of predicted.

Completely out of the blue, Ty Lee suddenly grabbed Aang by the shoulder, and forced her lips against his.

The world just seemed to vanish around him. The sounds of battle becoming mute to his ears.

All he could see was her, all he could hear was the sound of his heart thudding against his ribcage, all he could feel was the pressure of her lips against his. Going no further, yet making no move to remove themselves either.

And yet…he didn't make a move to remove them either.

The kiss ended as abruptly as it had began, the sounds, smells and sights of war quickly returning to him.

The Avatar just stood there, his mouth slightly agape, his wide eyes taking in the heavily blushing girl in front of his as she looked down to her feet.

"Go get him Aang," she smiled at the still stunned boy, "I know you can do it,"

The young Airbender stared at her for a few moments more, before shaking himself out of it, jumping through the hole in the balcony above without another word.

Ty Lee smiled sadly after him, before turning to Katara, uneasily taking in the conflicted look on her face.

"Do you really like him that much?" she asked quietly, "Do you honestly think you love him?"

"I…I don't know," the acrobat admitted in a whisper, "I have a tendency to act on impulse. It just…felt like the right thing to do…"

Katara continued to study her latest companion, before sighing to herself, "I know what you mean," she looked directly into Ty lee's eyes, "And because I know, I won't try to intervene if he feels the same way," She smiles, "The maker knows the last thing I'd want to do is make him un happ…"

Suddenly a flash of fire temporarily blinded the Fire Nationer as the Waterbender's words were cut off, the azure flames causing spots to dance across her eyes

When the spots cleared, what she saw made her blood run cold.

Katara stood stock still, a stunned look on her unusually pale face, a crimson stain slowly creeping around her middle from her back, before her eyes rolled up into her head, her body collapsing limply against the acrobats, her breathing next to nothing.

Ty Lee fought the urge to vomit at the sight of the giant bloody gash that ran across her new friend's back, the metallic scent of iron filling her senses as the scarlet substance slowly dyed her ocean blue clothes.

"Katara!" Sokka's scream echoed across the balcony, his wide eyes mad with fury as he locked on to his dear sister's attacker, "YOU!!!"

Ty Lee looked up from her desperate attempt to stop Katara from bleeding to death, only for her cold blood to turn to ice.

"No…" she whispered, "There's just no way,"

"Oh come now Ty Lee," her cruel voice seemed to diminish all other sounds around her, "Is that any way to talk to an…old friend?"

Her hair was a good deal shorter then when Ty Lee saw her last, the ends still frayed and burned from their encountor she had received barely a week ago. Her nails were no longer perfectly manicured, but chipped and some even broken. Her once perfect skin was now blotched and pocketed with burns and scars, making her appearance even more demonic then before.

"You can't be here," Ty Lee whispered, her eyes wide with fear, "You're dead. There's no way you could survive a fall like that,"

"Don't talk about me like I'm some pathetic peasant Ty Lee," Azula's voice was as hard as steel, her lips a very thin line, "I am the Princess of the Fire Nation, the greatest of the four Nations. You didn't think you could get rid of me by simply throwing me off a cliff did you?" she chuckled darkly, "Oh no my dear Ty Lee that would be too easy. For me anyway. Now you…you're a different matter,"

The acrobat backed up slowly as the fire princess advanced, dragging the semi conscious Waterbender with her as she called frantically to the two people sitting atop the flying bison.

"Get out of here now!" She called frantically, "Quickly, before she tries to kill you too!"

"Not without Katara!" Sokka cried out, "We have to help her! We…"

"There's no time," Ty Lee tried to push Appa away from the balcony, "You have to go now!"

"NOT WITHOUT KATARA!!!"  
"APPA!" Ty Lee's mind suddenly went into overdrive, something in the back of her subconscious remembering something she'd heard Aang say whenever he wanted to get the great beast of burden moving, "YIP YIP!"

With an almighty groan the six legged beast suddenly pushed away from the wall of the palace, forcing Sokka back into the saddle from the force as it flew away.

"If you're gonna stay then take this!" Toph threw the bison whistle back as Appa headed off towards the wall, "Just in case you change you mind!"

Ty Lee managed a small nod she clutch the whsitle tightly in one hand, her other arm pulling Katara's limp body away from Azula until she hit the hole in the floor where Appa had been only moments before.

She had no idea what was going to happen now. She stared up into the hate filled eyes of her former friend, her fist burning bright blue with rage.

She gave out a sharp cry as the first flames ripped through her shoulder, the stench of Katara's blood on her hands now mingling with the smell of singed flesh.

"You picked the wrong time to switch sides Ty Lee," Azula smiled slightly as the acrobat stood up gingerly, laying Katara on her side so her wound would not get infected any more then it needed to be, "I always thought you were weak minded, but to side with the Avatar? That's just low, even for you,"

Another flash of fire and Ty Lee was knocked to one knee, her screams drowned by the sounds of war.

"This war…it's been going on for far too long Azula," her voice was hazy from pain, her eyes unfocused, yet determined, "It has to end, and not by one Nation ruling all. The Elements must be united, as one. And only the Avatar can do that," With a deep shuddering breath, the young girl slowly rose to her feet once more, setting her shoulders back, determined to stand up to her new fear, "I am no traitor of this Nation Azula, and I am not as weak minded as you think. I see a picture now that I couldn't when I was your friend. We have been so selfish in our dominance, and it has to stop. The remaining Nations have to work together as one, perhaps even try to somehow renew the Air Nomads. Bring balance to this war torn world. The Fire Nation cannot rule over all, because if it does, the Earth will simply fall into ultimate Chaos,"

Azula stared at the Acrobat with narrowed eyes for a good long while, before she finally spoke.

"That…has to be the single most stupidest speech you have ever given,"

Ty Lee barely had time to gasp as the blue fireball hit her squarely in her bare midriff, the force sending her flying

Across the hole and into the railing opposite.

"You just don't get it do you?" The Fire Princess smirked as she watched her former friend clutch her stomach in pain from the other side of the hole, "The other Nations don't matter any more. The Fire Nation shall rule with an iron fist. No one shall dare oppose us. The Avatar shall never be able to defeat us, now that my Grandfather's comet scars the sky! It is the end of freedom Ty Lee. Soon the armies of the Earth Kingdom shall fall, leaving Ba Sing Se ripe for the taking once more. You picked the loosing side to defect too, but I _can_ be reasonable. Admit you were wrong, and I _may_ spare your life. You'll merely be sent into exile, just like my brother,"

The acrobat looked up from her suffering into those fiery amber eyes of the Princess, before whispering her reply, her voice shaky from her pain:

"N….N…Never,"

Azula's eyes became cold and soulless as she prepared to attack, "Then you shall die. Goodbye Ty Lee. I always knew _I_ would be the one to cease your life,"

With the ease of an expert she leapt into the air, over the hole, her skull barely touching the roof of the balcony as she drew her fist back for the final attack.

The acrobat sighed as she prepared for the end, watching seemingly in slow motion as her friend prepared to end her suffering. As Azula bore down on her, her thoughts turned to Aang, wondering if that kiss had meant anything to him.

Then, everything changed.

Out of nowhere a fireball of burning orange erupted from across the balcony, hitting the stunned princess square in the back, sending her sailing up and over Ty Lee, over the edge of the balcony.

Azula turned mid-air in anguish to see who dared turn against her, only to have a second fireball hit her in the chest, the metallic stench of blood filling her senses. As she began to fall off the building, her eyes widened at the sight of Mai, her head turned away from the scene before her, accompanied by her Uncle, his expression unreadable.

But standing in the middle, dressed in the armour of a Earth Kingdom soldier, his face a mixture of determination and sorrow, was the last person she really wanted to see in the middle of the Fire Capital.

Zuko.

(…)

She fell.

Storey after storey.

Her mind to tired from her wounds to try and get her body to land safely.

It didn't matter now anyway. Zuko's attack had pushed her out of the reach of the Palace, and even if she did manage to glide close enough to grab on, she would have been killed by the impact against it anyway.

As she fell, she hazily saw flashes of her life before her; of every time she had been mean to the ones she called her friends, how her father relentlessly drilled into her that only power was the only path this world recognised, how her mother, for all her daughter's spiteful ways and hateful words, loved her just as much as her son (something she realised she had envied as a child). The face of every person she had ever tortured, hurt, even killed played across her vision.

And her brother…

He kept appearing to her. Peering curiously into her crib, watching as he seemed to dance during his dagger practice, how she smirked as he struggled to grasp simple fire bending moves she had already mastered months ago. How she relentlessly teased and sometimes even hurt him badly, even when he made the tiniest of slip ups.

How on that fateful day, during the Angi-Kai, while on the outside she relished the pain her brother suffered, deep inside, her blood suddenly ran cold with ice.

As memories of her brother now continued to blot out all the others, the storeys slowly began to run out, and as the ground came up to meet her, one thing ran through her mind, one sentence passed her lips.

"Forgive me…brother,"

There was a hard crack, a sickening crunch, and then, the world went dark.

* * *

Well, like I said a while ago, I let Zuko kill Azula, cause let's face it, after all the trouble she's put him through, she kinda deserves it. I liked how she was right at the end. 

Anyway, I'd like your opinion on something. You might remember around halfway through the chapter Azula shot Katara through the back. Not very honorable I know, but this is Azula we're talking about here. Anyway, I just wondered before I began the next chapter if you think Katara should die from her wounds or not. Kinda dodgy subjuct I know. I have notes for both scenarios, And I'm thinking she might survive, but I'd like a second opinion or three. Let me know what you think please

Okay, R&R please

Thanks

Dearing


	9. Comet

I am so very very VERY sorry this took so long. I amit, I have no excuse, other then my Avatar mojo is so low it's visiting the centre of the earth. I, like many of you doubt, have waited and waited for Season 3 to come out, because without new stuff to watch I just don't have the will to write. Even Project Avatar is on the back burner, although I have posted a RPG version of the first few chapters on (links on my profile). I was so low, the World of Gundam took me in (You can thank Konoko14 and Avatar Gundam parodies for that.) But I am working on one last chapter, so this story WILL be finished. When though, I don't know.

Anyway, enjoy this chapter, Reviews gratfully accepted.

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COMET

What water he'd taken with him had long since evaporated.

What earth there had been around him incinerated.

All air thrown at his target simply feeding the flames.

All he had left was fire.

And there was plenty of that.

A gasp of pain escaped the Avatar's lips as pure white flames barely missed his shoulder, the shear heat coming from the Fire Lord's attacks enough to burn without even touching him.

His clothes hung ragged and limply from his small form, clinging to him from the droves of sweat that poured from his body, the metallic stench of his own blood mingling with the other rotten smells of the battlefield that had once been the Throne Room.

The Fire Lord stood opposite him, partially shrouded in darkness, what little light there was coming from his lighted fists, showing the sinister smile that graced his thin lips.

Aang wasn't surprised that this was harder then he'd expected. He'd only been learning Firebending from the best part of a month, while the towering man in front of him had no doubt been taught from birth the most powerful moves from the most wisest of teachers.

"So this is the mighty Avatar," Ozai watched carefully as his target fell to one knee in pain, "The mighty master of all the elements. I must say, I was surprised when the late Admiral Zhao told me you were but a child. I searched for you, you know. For two long years I searched the globe for any trace of the all powerful Avatar, as did my father, and his father before him. I even sent my own pathetic excuse for a son after you, although to be fair, I expected it to be a simple fools errand, what with your race completely wiped out and all,"

Aang pushed himself heavily to his feet, stumbling only slightly as he took a defensive stance.

"Not completely wiped out," He muttered with a shuddering breath, "I'm still here aren't I?"

Ozai merely smiled, "Not for much longer,"

He barely managed to reach the ceiling as a fire ball of pure white grazed his feet, the wall behind him exploding in a blast blinding light and deafening noise.

"You can't run forever to you know," The Fire Lord watched almost lazily as The Avatar scuttled amongst the rafters, "Eventually, I'll catch you,"  
"I've never ran from you," A shower of blue flames rained down from the ceiling, the giant of a man easily dodging the barrage, "If I did, I wouldn't even be here,"

"Even so, you can't win," A hole erupted through the roof as Ozai sent another fireball Aang's way, missing the airbender by a miniscule margin, "Sozin's comet now flies full across the sky. There is no possible way a scrawny lump of a boy such as you could defeat a master of the most powerful element such as I now. Admit it, you've lost. Surrender now, and I will show you mercy,"

The Avatar cast his eyes downward at the Fire Lord's words.

He was right, as much as he hated to admit it. He was weak, unable to summon the Avatar Spirit, most likely out of fear for it's extinction, and thus, unable to use it's full potential.

He realised as he hung there from the broken rafter, he should of come to the Capital sooner, taken the Fire Lord out before that wretched comet had even come close to gracing the skies.

Then, it struck him.

The comet.

He gazed up at the burning object, watching as it sailed through the midnight blue sky, spitting fire and smoke as it slowly made it's journey.

The comet was the key to this very predicament it started.

"This comet will be your downfall Ozai," he murmured quietly as he tried to conserve his energy, trying to summon the Avatar Spirit one last time, "I swear on my life that the object that brought you so much hope for victory will bring about your death,"

"Insolent boy!" Aang swiftly pushed himself through the hole to the roof as another blast shot through the tiles, the Fire Lord himself bursting fourth from a plume of flame as the exhausted Avatar perched quietly on the very tip of the Palace, his eyes closed, his energy growing, "Do you not understand? I've won! The Fire Nation will rule as the superior element! This comet will secure us and no other. There is no conceivable way you can defeat us now,"

"Maybe not by myself," The young boy let a shuddering sigh escape his lips as his tattoos slowly glowing a bright blue, his voice becoming shallow and as though many were speaking with him, "But together, all Avatar's combined, you shall be defeated,"

The wind suddenly picked up around the boy as a tornado engulfed his small body, the high winds sending the Fire Lord flying back down to the Throne Room floor, dirt and debris collecting in the flow as Aang slowly arose at the very top of the funnel, his eyes now open and alert, glowing that same blinding blue as his body marks.

Around the city, many soldiers from both sides stopped the fighting to look to the centre of the city, both watching in fear and awe as the giant whirlwind steadily grew atop the Palace, the only thing keep the great building together being it's heavily armoured inner structure as the twister grew to almost twice the size of the edifice it stood on.

Finally, as the tornado arced over the vast city, the whirlwind of air catapulted the young Avatar towards the comet at frightening speeds, the child's body only holding together due to the magnitude of souls that currently dwelled within him.

Higher and higher Aang soared, higher then any Airbender before him, higher then any being had ever dreamed. So high the Earth almost curved beneath him.

He found it hard to breath, but he didn't care. All he saw was the comet, a giant blinding ball of flame, rock and ice threatening to swallow up his vision, his body already feeling the heat of the celestial body as it crashed across the skies.

Raising his hand a head of him, he clenched his freezing fingers into a fist, watching as the alien earth of the Comet slowly cracked and crumbled to dust, fountains of lava spewing fourth from the wounds in it's side, quickly hardening at the coldness of the air around him.

The fire that surrounded the large body slowly began to burn deeper into the comet's core as he willed it, a high pitched scream ringing in his ears as the flaming comet slowly began to break up , what water inside it fizzling and spitting angrily as the heat evaporated it, creating holes throughout the rocks structure, making it brittle.

Summoning what air was around him, Aang concentrated a ball between his ice-covered hands, knowing that last act, may very well be the end of him.

But at least the world would be safe.

He smiled slightly as the ever increasing ball of air grew with every passing second, the comet coming ever closer, the oxygen becoming less and less.

Yes, at least the world would be safe.

His friends would be safe.

Sokka, Toph, Katara, even Zuko…

And Ty Lee.

His smile increased as his thoughts turned to that Acrobat that had turned his world upside down, the kiss they had shared surfacing at the top of his mind, her smiling face coming a close second.

He was doing this for her, he realised. With the comet destroyed, she would be safe.

That was reward enough for him.

Focusing the last of his energy into the attack above his head, he moulded the powerful ball into a thin ribbon of air, curling it around his body as the comet seemed to shriek in agony at the damage he had done to it.

Thrusting his hands towards the immense object, the ribbon shot towards the Comet with frightening speed, finding it's way into a open fissure as the attack itself thrust the last of the Airbenders back to the hard ground below.

It shot straight through to the crust of the comet like it was mere paper, the now brittle structure of the celestial body shattering like fragile glass as it headed straight for the heart of the deadly rock.

The moment that last attack hit the core, the comet erupted into a fantastic display of reds and yellows, shards of heated rock sent flying all directions, a cloud of debris billowing fourth into the darkened sky, lighting up like the very dawn itself.

And far below it, The Avatar fell, his eyes back to their usual grey, his tattoos no longer bright.

Yet Aang smiled as he watched the display, a part of him glad that he had done his part, his destiny fulfilled.

The other part was sad as he felt the air heat up around him, sad that he would never again see Ty Lee's smiling face, or tell her that he…that he…

A hand suddenly clasped around his frozen one, the very action causing him to look down blearily in surprise, only for his heart to leap, although the rest of him was far to tired to do so, for there, holding onto him tightly, standing atop Appa's back, was the girl that had his very thoughts captivated. The one he thought he'd never see again. The one, he realised, had replaced Katara in his heart.

Ty Lee.

She pulled him down gently into her embrace, both she and Appa falling at the exact same speed to him, her feet tied securely to the front of the saddle as she held him tightly in her arms, the giant flying bison slowing their descent as she brought him down to the beast of burden's back.

* * *

He felt cold to her. She could even see small crystals of ice on his shoulder and atop his bald skull.

His eyes opened weakly as she lay him down on the "Floor" of the saddle, a breath she didn't realise she'd been holding expelled into the chilly air as Appa managed to level out and come to a halt mid air high above the city.

"Ty Lee…" his voice was a hoarse whisper, but she didn't care. He was alive, that was what mattered, "What are you…how did you get here?"

"I had to find you," she rested a hand against his cold cheek, "I couldn't let you fight the Fire Lord alone. But by the time Appa had gotten back and we'd gotten Katara to the field hospital I saw you fly up to the comet. I just had to find you. That was the only thing on my mind,"

"Katara?" his eyes became concerned, "Is she alright? Is everyone alright?"

The words stung her, but she decided not to react to it.

"The Doctors say she'll be fine," she murmured, "She was injured by…a Firebender, but it's nothing the Waterbenders haven't seen before,"

"That's good," he struggled to sit up, as she sat back on her legs, a hurt expression in her eyes. Not that she blamed him.

It was natural to be worried about the fates of your friends, she understood that, but the fact he asked after Katara made her feel…hollow.

"Thanks," she looked up as she felt his icy hand against her cheek, "I'd probably be a pancake by now if you hadn't found me,"

She took his hand in both of her own, closing her eyes as she felt his limb warm up against her face, turning towards it, nuzzling it slightly.

He smiled as he edged closer to her, surprising her slightly as they came almost nose to nose, just as they had up on that ridge before this infernal battle had begun.

"You know, I honestly thought I was going to die up there," It seemed a stupidly obvious thing to say, but he felt it was the only way he get the words out, "And I…I was surprised by who my last thoughts were about?"

"Oh?" Her hands dropped with his, both limbs now entwined with one another between them, "Why were they so surprising?"

"Because they were about someone I didn't expect," he inched just a little bit closer, cocking his head to one side slightly, "Someone who was once my enemy, but is now my friend. And now…perhaps something more,"

"I see…" Ty Lee smiled slightly, her eyes watching Aang's lazily as she two inched slightly towards him, "And where are you going to find this lucky person?"

"Right in front of me,"

For the second time that day, their lips met, innocent, carefree, oblivious to the world around them as Appa decided by himself to set off back for the Earth Kingdom's encampment, the horrors of war deaf to their minds, their focus on each other she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly to her as the kiss broke off, the Acrobat and the Airbender lying down together in the pit of the saddle, both dozing in a moment of perfect bliss as the flying bison headed away from the city, and into the rising light of the sun.

* * *

Ozai watched in horror as his dreams exploded in a giant fireball above his city, the power that that comet had bestowed on him seeping out of his veins.

"No…" he whispered, "NO! IT'S NOT POSSIBLE!!!"

He pushed a ball of fire into existence so it impacted against the nearby wall, but it only came out blood red.

He tried again, And again, but no white came fourth, not even a wisp of blue.

He stared up angrily at the remains of the comet above him as the explosion dissipated above him, cursing to the Gods as the first streams of dawn seeped through holes in the roof of the palace.

"It matters not," he muttered after a while, his usual aura of calm once again overtaking him, "The Fire Nation still rules supreme. The destruction of the Comet is but a minor setback. Soon, this world will be mine, the last pockets of resistance eradicated, and there's nothing the Avatar or any of his ancestors can do about it!"

It was then that he heard it.

A faint whistling sound, coming from above him, accompanied by the noise of crumbling rock and burning debris.

A burning fragment of the comet, easily twice the size of the Palace, taller then it was wide, came hurtling through the dawn towards him, his amber eyes creasing into a look of anguished despair as it eclipsed the light streaming through the holes of the roof, it's flaming dominating his vision as he knew his end came near.

"No," he murmured quietly, "No no no…It's not fair,"

Then, the fragment hit.

* * *

Screams of horror and fear swam through the Capital of the Fire Nation as the first fragment of the comet collided with the palace, the shear bulk of the rock shattering the mighty building like it was made of toothpicks as smaller bodies came crashing to earth.

For the first time in a century, Fire, Water and Earth troops were as one as they directed innocent civilians to the nearest exits as the city was bombarded from the stars, the need to survive outweighing the need to fight.

Buildings caught ablaze or were demolished as rocks of various sizes smashed into the ground, mighty walls that had once held back entire armies no match for the sheer explosive force the remnants of the comet had.

And in the midst of it, The last Prince of the old Fire Nation, flanked by his uncle and his lady, walked solidly through the carnage, his sister's broken body cradled in his arms.

None of them spoke as they walked. None of them looked up in fear as many of the people around them did. They just kept walking until they reached the Main Gate, the last of the falling stars from the heavens above falling only a few moments before.

The sight before them was one of anxiety and uneasiness.

On one side, his Nation, an army of tired and scared soldiers, the refugees of the broken city huddled quietly behind them.

The Prince felt a certain sickly glee to find his father wasn't there.

On the other, the combined forces of the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribe, The Avatar standing in front of them all, seemingly held up by the Acrobat The Prince's sister had once called a friend, and his small blind Earthbender comrade.

Both sides looked to him as he approached, the people of the Fire Nation standing to attention or gawping with open mouths, the Avatar and his comrades clenching their fists, some even going into fighting stances.

The Prince looked to both sides for the longest time, fully aware that all eyes were on him, before handing his Sister's body to his Uncle, stepping into the middle of the void between the two armies, before approaching The Avatar.

The young boy looked at him questioningly, but stepped forward hesitantly, indicating to his friends to let him go alone.

The Prince looked down at the Avatar as the two met, his amber eyes studying the child that had been his prey for almost three years, before coming to a decision.

Slowly, he drew the twin broad swords from his belt, keeping them joined, raising them so they were horizontal to The Avatar's chest, his eyes never leaving his.

The two stared at each other for a moment more, before the elder boy bowed forward holding the weapons out to the surprised youngster.

"As the last of the line of Ozai," he spoke quietly, "I, Prince Zuko, Son of Ozai, Grandson of Azulan, and descendent of the Fire Lord Sozin, on behalf of all those of Fire Nation blood from here to the furthest reaches of the Earth, do herby to you, Aang, The Avatar, The Master of the elements…

Unconditionally…Surrender,"

* * *

Like I said, almost done. Hopefully this was a good final battle chapter for you. A bit OOC in my opinion, but I liked it.

One more chapter to go, then this is done.

hope you enjoyed it.


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